Many tubes, such as a fuel supplying tube and the like, are arranged inside an aircraft. In order to support the foregoing tubes, a tube support structure is provided inside the aircraft.
For the tube support structure, a preload applied to a tube is required to be suppressed. Moreover, there is a case that the aircraft is deflected by lifting power and the like received during its flight. In particular, a main wing portion is easily bent by a load such as lifting power generated during operations. With the deflection in an airframe, the tube receives a load at a portion of the tube support structure. When the preload exists in the tube, in addition to the load caused by the deflection in the airframe, a load corresponding to the preload is applied to the tube. Moreover, the aircraft repeats its takeoff and landing. This implies that the load caused by the deflection of the airframe is repeatedly applied to the tubes arranged inside the aircraft. From the foregoing viewpoints, for the tube support structure for aircraft, the suppression of the preload is strongly requested as compared with the tube support structures in other use fields.
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a tube arranged inside an aircraft. As shown in FIG. 1, a tube 103 is arranged inside a main wing of an aircraft 100. Also, ribs 102 for partitioning inner space of the main wing are provided inside the main wing. The tube 103 extends to penetrate through the ribs 102. A tube support structure 109 is attached to the ribs 102. The tube 103 is supported by the tube support structure 109.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the tube support structure 109. In FIG. 2, an X direction, a Y direction and a Z direction are defined. The tube 103 extends along the X direction. The rib 102 is arranged in parallel to an YZ plane. The tube support structure 109 has a bracket 104, a shim 105 and a clamp 106. The bracket 104 is bent, and has a fixing portion fixed to the rib 102 and an attachment surface extending along the tube 103. The clamp 106 is a portion supporting the tube 103 and arranged on the attachment surface of the bracket 104. The shim 105 is used to adjust a position of the clamp 106 in the Z direction and interposed between the attachment surface of the bracket 104 and the clamp 106. When the foregoing configuration is employed, by using a member with a thickness suitable for the shim 105, the position of the clamp 106 can be adjusted in an upper and lower direction (Z direction) and can suppress the preload. Also, by using a member having a suitable bent angle as the bracket 104, an angle of the tube 103 can be adjusted with respect to the rib 102. Thus, the preload can be suppressed.
As another related technique, a patent literature 1 (JP S58-200891A) discloses a center self -adjustment multi-connector. The patent literature 1 describes a configuration that a plurality of female couplings are attached to a male block so as to oscillate in arbitrary directions through a spherical supporting portion, a configuration that a plurality of female couplings to be engaged with a male coupling are attached to a female block so as to oscillate in arbitrary directions through a spherical supporting portion, a configuration that centering engagement portions are provided in the male block and the female block, and a configuration that a lock member 3 for holding the male block and the female block at a coupling position is movably mounted in any one of the male block and the female block.
As still another related technique, a patent literature 2 (JP H10-292817A) discloses a journal bearing that has a center adjustment mechanism. The patent literature 2 discloses a journal bearing that is provided with a support ring, a bearing, an oil groove portion and a mechanism for supplying high pressure oil to the oil groove portion, wherein a support portion between an inner surface of the support ring and an outer surface of the bearing is formed by a spherical surface.